That's it...I'm Out

Well, it's happened quicker than even I thought it would: I'm retiring. This will be my last post.

First, this has nothing to do with the current change in ownership. In fact, I kinda feel bad about the timing. This all happened rather quickly for me, and it ended up colliding with the change in ownership. Sorry about that, it made a complex situation even more trying, I'm sure.

My Retirement Plans
I've been working on my retirement plan for 3 years, which is to build a tiny home into a FedEx step van and live life as an adventuring nomad. I had initially expected to retire at 66 in 2022 for full Social Security benefits figuring it would take me 7 years to build the truck. A big dream would certainly take a while to achieve. I'd have to learn about solar panels, composting toilets, and all manner of things.

Well, it turns out dreams really aren't that big and challenging when you only have 88 square feet to fill. The job may be best compared to a somewhat more complicated than normal bathroom remodel job. In two and a half years, it's done.

Putt (that's its name) is a 2005 Grumman Olson step van.

Kinda reminds me of a boat cabin.

Sixty gallong water tank, fridge, pump faucet, composting toilet...all the comforts of home. (Well, no shower...gotta work on that.).

That kitchen wall now has a spice rack.

Been putting my soldering iron to good use.

But finishing up Putt isn't the only reason to retire.

1) My ears are going. They are pretty good for a 60 year old...well, my left ear anyway. But hearing tests have shown the trend. It's just not good enough any more, IMHO, and getting worse. Your brain can compensate for a long time, but at some point it starts getting really hard to do the job of evaluating sound.

2) I've been writing about headphones for 25 years. Brochure copy, ads, retail web site, and now journalistic reviews. Writing poetry about tractors for 25 years is now painful. It may have been good training for becoming a writer because of the discipline and deep dive into a subject, but I'm burned out. I want to write about something else for myself. Time in the woods in my truck would be perfect. Wasn't it Steinbeck who had the pick-up truck camper?

3) What with kids and career, I never had the time to really focus on playing my ukulele. Or maybe it was laziness and ADD...I can never remember which. At any rate, again, time in the woods in my truck would be perfect.

4) My career in the world of headphones has an arc...and a good one. My singular goal since 1992 has been to influence headphone sound quality for the better. I think I've done that. I've also played a strong role in the growth of the headphone enthusiast community. I think the direction and quality of growth in the high-performance headphone market and enthusiast community is strong and healthy, and now is so powerful that my influence is less relevant. My parents were in show business (ballet/musicals dancers; mom danced for the Metropolitan Opera, dad danced for American Ballet Theater), the old saying is to go out on top and be remembered well. That time is now.

5) Living in Putt is cheap. I can take my early Social Security retirement (and lock myself in because who knows what's going to happen there), my savings and home sale proceeds, and live very comfortably on the road. Tacos at a Baja beach stands are cheap; mortgages are expensive.

6) And maybe most important: I'm an adventurer to the bone. I've always had wanderlust, and I loved adventure motorcycling. I've even done a couple of review series on a motorcycle adventure (here and here). I want to go explore before I can't do it anymore. Waiting four more years for full Social Security retirement to do it seemed like an eternity. It's time for me to retire and go play while I can.

Some comments seem to be in order:

Thank you InnerFidelity Readers
I'm credited with giving birth to the headphone enthusiast activity. There's a good deal of truth to that; no need to go into detail. What's more important is that I didn't really set out to be the father of a movement. I simply set out to be as productive as I could be towards getting better sounding headphones. Wether it was whooping up a froth co-founding with Aaron the first CanJam (though it wasn't called that back then) or writing critical copy on HeadRoom's website of product manufacturers made us cary, but sucked, it was all because I just wanted headphone makers to make better sounding headphones. I rose to a voice of authority on InnerFidelity simply on the strength of that.

Here's the important bit: None of that would have happened if there weren't people similarly interested. I am so grateful to know that many likeminded enthusiasts are simply interested in my mission and musings. I have a following not because I'm a leader, but because I've remained as true as I could to my mission, and I tried to bring you along in an entertaining way...and you've paid me back tenfold by reading along and giving me a livelihood. Thank you!

You've also directly contributed to InnerFidelity content with your comments here. You may have noticed I don't comment in the comment section much. It's partly because I always have to be on to the next thing, but it's also because I felt I got my say in the article; readers should have free ground to comment on the subject without any back talk from me. I think this has actually made the InnerFidelity comments sections terrifically dense. A lot of signal, very little noise. Thank you so much for your comments! It's one of the strengths you brought directly to the table.

Thank You Editorial Contributors
What a cast of characters! Bob Katz, John Grandberg, lJokerl, Steve Guttenberg, Nate Maher, Tyler Schrank, Dinny Fitzpatrick, and numerous others have contributed their thoughts. I'm always tickled pink to read and edit what Bob's furious mind has whipped up to think about. And John Grandberg's reviews consistently strike me as straight-up competent. My all-time favorite post on InnerFidelity was Steve Guttenberg's piece "John Lennon's 1965 Portable KB Discomatic Jukebox", the fascinating story of one of the first portable personal audio devices and it's effect on the famous Beatle. Thank you all for your contributions! One mistake I've made is not pushing harder to bring in more voices like these.

My message to manufacturers.
No, you're not getting a thank you in the title, but you are going to get a big thank you for making better sounding headphones, which you have. And you did it in a time when Dr. Dre fired a cannon to start a race nobody knew they were in. So thanks for sticking it out in tumultuous times and making better sounding headphones none the less.

It is your job, though.

And I'm here to point a finger right at you and say you can make better sounding headphones than you do now. I know all the bells and whistles are temptingmandatroy, really, if you want to surviveand I know sexy looking headphones dangling around the necks of bedazzled celebrities moves iron, but please, keep your eye on the ball. Good sound quality, comfort, solid build, and simple good looks will get you the long term prize of being a great headphone maker.

And keep the damned price reasonable!

The Next InnerFidelity Editor
I'm going to let him introduce himself. Frankly I was surprised, and pleased, with the choice. He's certainly got journalism chopsmaybe you'll finally get articles without miss-spelled wordsand he's got audio experience. We did have a very good conversation about InnerFidelity and it's readership, and I came away feeling he's got as good a shot at it as anyone else I could think of.

Just don't compare him to me. There can be only one dude that was there right at the beginning of the headphone enthusiast movement, and it was mefor better or worse. That can't be duplicated. And in some ways I'm a one-trick pony reviewing headphone after headphone. A more capable editor would/could have gathered more voices around himself. I look forward to seeing his future efforts.

The Big Question
The Wall of Fame is packed up and ready to go to its new home. That leaves me with just a couple of junker headphone left overs that just won't do in the long run. It's time for me to buy some new headphones for life on the road. Which headphones do I most miss? What headphones will I buy?

For sure I'll be buying some Bose Quiet Comfort 35 wireless, over-ear headphones. It's LOUD driving around in Putt. So loud that hearing damage is quite possible after long exposure. Good noise canceling headphones are a must, and the Bose QC35 is the best I'm aware of.

For phone calls, general iPad movie watching, and casual listening the Beats Solo 3 Wireless is sweet. Good sound, comfort, build quality, and maybe most important unbelievable Bluetooth range, you just can't beat the Solo 3.

Bottom line, as one enthusiast said in a private place where my intentions are known: "That just goes to show that for all the hoopla we squawk about regarding sound quality, the function of the headphone matters just as much." It's true. While I think good sound quality is the most important headphone characteristic, the functional aspects of headphones can be almost as important, and can certainly warrant compromises in sound quality in order for them to be most useful in your particular application.

Will I take a pair of high end headphones with me? Not super high-end...I just don't have the room or energy budget (being solar powered) for a high end rig on the road. But I will take my Astell & Kern AK240, my CEntrance M8, and a pair of Aeon Flow open and closed headphones along.

Mic Drop
Okie dokie, that's it for me. Feel free to wave good-bye in the comments below, I am looking forward to your farewells. I will miss all you quirky headphone geeks. I'll try to make it to a meet here and there. Wouldn't that be fun?

Hello Tyll,
Any way to do one last review of new model Stax SR-009S?
Is this the best sounding headphone in the world?It's supposed to be
new and improved.Your experience and knowledge will be missed.
Thanks for many years of insight.What is best sounding headphone in the world?Best Amp Blue Hawaii?Happy Trails.-D
-D

Tyll was not too surprised since you told me you were going to finish the Fedex and go on road. If your on the East Coast we down in a seasonal site in historic Cape May NJ. I wish you much success and really learn much from your writing through the years and will miss seeing you at shows and CanJams. Looking forward to our paths crossing again and safe travel and enjoy!n Thank you for all the great memories regarding headphones through all the years.

What an unexpected, somewhat frightening, but lovely twist. I’m 27. I’ve been reading innerfidelity since it began, when I was a teenager. I rarely comment. I rarely participate on forums. I rarely buy headphones (I’m perpetually broke and have an obsession with reef aquariums, as well.) But, I have valued and enjoyed everything you’ve written since you began this site. Thank you.

Part of me is yearning for a similar adventure. One day, I’ll give into the wanderlust... If you’re ever in Iowa or Illinois (I’m on the border in Moline, IL), look me up (Eli Inskeep) and I’ll play my ukulele with you and find some good food. (:

Thank you for being a part of my journey. You’ve been a positive influence.

This news has hit me surprisingly hard. We've never met but you've made substantial impact on my life the past several years as ive come to embrace and love the world of headphones. I trust your advice and experience above all other input. That trust has been well served as i am VERY happy with my wall-o-fame purchases (and oh brother there are many).

So..as hard as it is to imagine that i wont see your byline any further during my very regular visits to this site, I appreciate what you are doing and your choice to do it now. Wanderlust is a wonderful thing. There's a great big world out there and too many of us are lost in our phones and tvs to give it much of a shot.

So my friend...all the best to you!! Go out there and explore, adventure, look, listen, learn, and most of all live. I have three favorite quotes which i call upon now and again...for the first time i think they are ALL appropriate to one person..you....

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" -tzu
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams" - wonka
"Changes in attitudes, changes in lattitudes, nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, if we couldnt laugh, we'd all go insane" -Buffet

I've been lurking around here for years, but I always found your content fascinating. It will be interesting to meet your successor. Or successors.

It's a lot of work, what you do, YouTube videos and all. Maybe the technical side of the job can be done by another person, a technical editor of sorts. Those measurements are a big part of what makes this site special. And there are still some unfinished projects, e.g., redoing the database of measurements so that the reader can view the data using different compensation curves. Ideally, the person who will be inheriting the measurement gear will have solid engineering chops.

(If you absolutely can't find anyone, send it over to me and our engineering department! Just kidding.)

Anyway, whoever will be building or your work, he, she, or they will have big shoes to fill.

Hey Tyll,
Nice wiring job on Putt. Very neat.
May you have many years of safe travel and excellent health ahead of you. Appreciate what you have brought to the table....I'm not too far behind you....will be 59 in a couple of weeks.

If one has insatiable wanderlust, best act upon it while one can. Lived out of van conversion for some years though eventually tired of it. Met many interesting people with all kinds of rigs. We are approximately same age and while my hearing has declined, it is my eyesight which finally made road travel more chore than pleasure.
If was fifteen years younger, single and financially capable, would love Tesla or other electric truck pulling small trailer heavy on the solar panels. Less repairs concerns. With your rig would consider small pullout awning that gave privacy on all sides and use gravity tank for shower. It's easy enough to heat shower water for the colder days.

...but based the glimpses of you (and, more specifically, your hobbies outside of your job) that we readers have been given from time-to-time, this retirement plan strikes me as very "you." :P

I've only been interested in this hobby for half a decade or so, but it's been a real pleasure to read your reviews. (The fact that you were one of the few reviewers whose preferences consistently lined up with my own didn't hurt, of course.) I hope you have fun with this next adventure! :)

PS. Is the incoming editor a newcomer or someone who already is known within the community? I couldn't tell for sure whether you were hinting at the latter...

You've had a huge influence on fostering my love of headphones and audio in general. I bought my first pair of "nice" headphones, and my first headphone amp, from HeadRoom, and you've played at least some role in every purchase decision I've made since. I'm going to miss reading your takes on new headphones.

Good luck with your retirement! It sounds like you're going to be living your dream, and I hope you have a great time of it.

If you come to South America, just drop a message. Each event in life has pros and cons. I am sure we are going to miss your valuable evaluations, but I am sure your scout and artistic adventures will bring other great values. I would love to read and watch your channel about your adventures. Enjoy your life as an adventuring nomad! Cheers.

Thank you for your work on headphones, that I love since I'm 7.
As a musician you helped me choose my listening tools and in fact saving money by choosing the good ones !
Driving these landscapes with autonomous home should be good for the mind :)

Big loss for the community IMO but a well deserved retirement for an invaluable and widely respected part of it. Tyll is too humble IMO, he wasn't just there from the start but he was an integral part of making sure stuff was judged both objectively and subjectively, by doing it darn well and explaining why at the same time.

...just got back from few days away and the news is all over my feeds. You're retiring... Oh well Tyll I wish you a great and long ride with Putt ! You've been a dear friend to me, fulfilling countless hours of my life with knowledge, fun and humility. You'll be missed. Please never forget you've got friends all around the globe waiting to share a cold beer with you ! My best,

Thanks for all Tyll. In 2011 I started this hobby and discover your amazing website. It was like a goldmine. I always loved your videos and the majestic wall of fame. Your objective approach to review was almost scientific and not biased, this is unique.
This is a big loss for the headphone dom.
Hope to read you somewhere again in the future. Enjoy your life! You're the best.

Thanks for your contributions, I've been reading them for years and have loved/appreciated your articles. Best of luck mate, I'll miss them. Please consider making a blog or something so we can go with you on your adventure and so someday I can buy you a beer in Baja.

It's been a long since I last posted a comment at IF. I've been following your career ever since the HeadRoom days, reading the reviews of headphone on HR's site. Then there was Head-Fi, then InnerFidelity. The importance of your headphone measurements and reviews and general attitude and influence in the headphone world cannot be overstated--you have helped shaped the trajectory of the headphone industry, and for many of us, shaped our view and relationship with headphones. Whenever I have discussion with others about headphones, InnerFidelity's articles and measurements and Wall of Fame is what I point them, and tell them there's no better resource about headphones than IF.

I was one of people who very early on started EQ'ing headphones, and everyone chided me for it, but now many are doing it. I actually used your ideal frequency response curve as my standard for EQ'ing and I still use it now (although updated a bit with Harman Target Response Curve). Although I'm not nearly as involved with headphones these days (and rarely use them), I have fond memories of being part of that community.

I have come to the same conclusion you did. After having auditioned, bought, and sold many thousands of dollars worth of headphone gear, I settled on modestly priced ones that do a great job at functionality and sound, even though I could have stayed on the upgrade treadmill of high-end headphones. This is especially true once I can create EQ curves for any headphones I own and vastly improve their frequency response.

As for your retirement adventure, I actually have a similar dream/fantasy of one day just selling everything and get a camper and just drive around the country while writing novels. But I'm not sure if I'm cut out for it since the Mrs. and I love creature comforts and are total homebodies. I'm 45 now, so I guess we'll have to see.

Anyway, enjoy your retirement adventure. You've given a lot and now it's time to just live for yourself--you've certainly earned it. We'll miss you.

Tyll, I am a reader from Hong Kong, tbh you are the one that affected my choice of headphones a lot! I first go into the hobby with an Onkyo soundcard and a shure srh 940 phones (only heard of shure back then when the. Se530 and 535 were all the fame) then subsequently found your review with shootout of Hifiman he500, he6, sennheiser hd800 etc. And your review made my purchase the he500 which I use till now, very satisfied as a home reference.

I want to thank you for all the hard work you've put into this hobby, especially bringing a more objective standpoint to headphone reviewing which can be used as baseline of some sort. I had a lot of use especially from your measurements and I hope this way of reviewing doesn't come to an end just because you're leaving as I really found it helpful and welcomed.

I cannot think of a person with a more influence in how the market has shaped for the better thanks to your persistent work and input, very grateful for that!

How does it feel to know that you've impacted the entire future of the headphone industry? Personal audio will have a greater focus on audio quality for generations henceforth because of your influence. That's a rather significant impact on the human condition!

Thank you for the impact you've had, and I hope you enjoy life as an adventurer!

Through your combination of subjective analysis and objective measurements you've helped me find my perfect headphones. Through the years and dozens of cans I was finally able to narrow down my sound and the frequency response that was most likely to delivered it, without you that would never have been possible, so a personal thank you Tyll!

Good luck in retirement, Tyll. I very much enjoyed your reviews and the honesty you brought with them. We all learned much from you and appreciate the influence you had on manufacturers to improve the listening experience.

Enjoy your travels as Easy Rider in Putt. You definitely weren't born to follow.

Here's to making many more happy memories for yourself and the others you influence!

I met you and Steve Gutenberg by mistake, I'd been absent from Consumer Audio since I closed down "All" my Audio Businesses and returned to the Transportation Industry ( 1985 ), In 2011 I happened upon RMAF and only had time for One Seminar - yours! I felt then ( and still feel ) that you and Steve G. were Giants of Journalistic Integrity, that day was a "Lucky Day", I discovered a treasure.

Was that only 8 years ago ? seems like 2 or 3 Decades. Phew !

You gave the World "Big Sound" and for me, DAC realizations. Brilliant Stuff.

Hearing loss is the hard part, made easier by equalized headphones and outfits that are migrating to Digital Signal Processing in their Product Lines. This is where we need you and will continue to need you. Along with Portable Quality Music Solutions like that LG V30 Phone that Mr. JVS just reviewed. The World needs an established, hearing challenged, portable music system "Long Term Evaluator" ! One that has pleeeeeeeeenty of time to write up insightful commentaries from Fascinating Exotic Locations. Egads: Tyll, reporting from the Everglades ! And, outfits like Phonak offer music capability in their products and nooooooooobody is reporting anything about it in any of the Audio Journals. That would be a natural for "our man on the road", wouldn't it?

You could also do Guest Appearances at any Audio Show for nearly any Company and boost their visitor count by x4. Everyone would want to meet you, for gods sake.

I think giving your 62 year old's Life Adventure a fresh start is a darn good idea, you'll have another solid 20 years to slow down enough to settle into that final Lazyboy. Plus, you can join us cozy civilians sitting around the Campfire tak'n our turn to speak-up about things and to poke the fire (a bit). Getting away from Snow & Ice is a wonderful (quality of life) enhancement ( I'm quoting Bob Katz here ).

I can also imagine your DXpedition Mobile Location hopping. I'm kinda anxious to hear about the rig. I'm W8FDS from the 1950s era., never did mobile but would like to consider a Base Station in Florida doing QSLs and a small single VFR Cessna for Cross Country Adventuring to Far-off Places like the Wood Boat Shows in Port Townsend and Lake Huron, Michigan.

Career people doing a change to Adventure Writing : John Steinbeck, Tristan Jones ( a must read ), the Brits: "Journey with Jono" & "Cruising the Cut" on YouTube and now...

... Tyll Herstens !

Ohhhhh dam, I'm gonna miss you, this is already starting to hurt,

Bon Voyage

Tony in Michigan

ps. when you turn 65, catch up on Medicare by getting a full top to bottom Cancer Search ( everything search ) so that you can arrest what ever is trying to creep in and snuff you out.

ps. I'm having a hard time, trying to force myself to hit "Save" for the very "LAST" time!

The new ownership should've offered you a big raise not you to leave. You were the most trusted reviewer in the headphone community. I don't know who I have to trust from now on. It's such a loss to our community.

Enjoy your new life in your new rolling home. There's now a big void in the headphone world, but we are all better for you having been in that world for 25 years. Best wishes, good luck and good health.

Been lurking all the while. I know I had to register and thank you for your contributions and wishing you farewell. This is your best post. Chasing your dreams and bowing out while on top, inspirational.

Sharing Putt with us. I can see the effort and love you put in into Putt. Love it.

Message to manufacturers, golden.

Choice of gears, best advise ever!

Thank you and happy for you. May you be blessed with good health and a safe journey ahead.

Beats us how you arrived at this decision. Shure, Gradolly building the Putt makes Senns. It doesn't Koss the world to live on the road. Just Focal work - workis NAD good when you are getting old. Please Xiaomi us the way to our own retirement and have 1More on us. You will always remain our Hifiman.

Beats us how you arrived at this decision. Shure, Gradolly building the Putt makes Senns. It doesn't Koss the world to live on the road. Just Focal work - work is NAD good when you are getting old. Please Xiaomi the way to my own retirement and have 1More on us. You will always remain our Hifiman.

So glad I was a good husband and endured some HGTV with my gal - because now I know what a tiny house is, and why you would want one. Even happier to say you’ve given me several valuable ways to understand and assess headphones, turning my vague distaste with earlier choices into a hobby I feel I can appreciate and participate in. Thank you!

I've read you're articles, and watched your videos since you started doing this. I've always been a headphone, speaker,audio,...MUSIC enthusiast, and have appreciated your honesty and clarity in your assessments of all things audio. Thank You Tyll.

I too retired at 62, and am now 66, with hearing still serving me very well, but not entirely the same in the last octave as it once did..(what else is new?).

Good choice with the AEON Flows! I hope Putt doesn't try to talk to you while you are cancelling sound while driving. Oh...about Putt...It looks very generic outside with the white paint. Have you considered making advertising panels for the sides in case you want to sell ice cream or tacos from it, to buy gas for the road trips? How about a traveling headphone sales van?

Seriously, I bet Montana will be your home ground, and man is there a LOT of it! I was just through Bozeman a couple days ago, and thought it would be fun to stop in on you there, something I haven't done since Headroom started on Peach Street, but I had to get back to drum circles I lead here, and the band I play with, so I pushed on through. Busy having fun..and I think you will enjoy writing...I write poetry a lot now and really love it...

Hats off not only for what you have achieved over the past decades and how especially your measurements have influenced my choice of gear, but also for that you know when it is time to stop. That requires a well-balanced mind and a strong character! Too often, I see reviews and manufacturer advertising; where "old" guys talk about how good something sounds with no reference to any [repeatable] measurements and once they start chanting about how brilliantly and bla-bla-bla the high frequencies are presented, I already know that piece of transducer must be tuned way too bright. ;D

You (and Bob Katz) have brought me to the point where now I measure my headphones individually with a 'miniDSP EARS' and thereafter apply the correction for every channel through my 'RME ADI-2 Pro'. How cool is that!

All the best! ...and please do not disappear completely - you seem to be a nice person and your community will miss you...

Tyll, it would be selfish to ask you to stay onboard, you’ve been doing more great to the hobby than any other key player in my mind and it’s time for you to enjoy yourself.

I wasn’t on headcase and got started on headphone circa end of 90s through headroom. I enjoyed nerding a bit helping you with post-processing of measurements, and simply checking this site out now and then, always enjoying your posts and videos.

It’s a bit of a sad day cause I am not sure the integrity you had abounds around or can easily be preserved, we’ll see. Regardless, to all the good you’ve done, it’s only natural to wish you a lot of fun to come in this new adventure.

Leaving behind years of adventures in headphoneland, here Mr. Tyll comes to explore other worlds. The community of headphoneland wishes you would have enjoyable and satisfying trips. Sometimes the road, the place or the people will be neutral, sometimes they will be bright, hot, chill, relaxed or dark out there. Whatever they are, I hope you will have fun and things will have reasonable price ;).
Good choice on the Aeons: good sound comes with good durability.
P/S: Hope you will still check out news in headphoneland and comment here and there sometimes.

All the best. And thx so much for all these years of dedication and passionate work. You have been an important part of my enjoyment of these mad and great hobby. All the best. And, if you feel like it, let us know how life with Putt is going along. Gracias por todo y muy buena suerte.

Some folks have a wide ranging impact on others, many of which they may never know anything about.
You on the other hand have a sense of just how deep and wide and the degree of impact your efforts have had upon not just this 'hobby' but in other areas of interest as well.

There are many folks who we share our interests and proclivities with, as we do what is before us, as we live our lives.
And there are those who truly make their mark and leave a lasting impression, as I call it, they have 'stick'.
And there are those precious few who do all of the above and share their wisdom and enthusiasm and joie de vivre for the betterment of all who they have interacted, and shared time with, in this adventure.
Those in this last group are a rare and treasured group, by any measure.

You know that you have friends all over this planet, which if you think about it, is tribute enough,
but you've done so in multiple ways, which is all the more remarkable.

And have finished Putt just in time for the big event!

Now's the time to begin to more fully explore those aspects of interest, we often needed to put off, for one reason or another, (I'm not even sure I can spell ukillaeie, er ukeillayligh, er 'The Uke').

And some of those aspects can run very deep and broad, which can be rather delightful.

And now soon enough you will have the time to find yourself so busy that you will wonder why the days are shrinking.
But the days and the times will be yours, which can become it's own reward.

Enjoy the new adventures, the times ahead, and most especially have some fun!
That's the best part about this retirement stuff, having fun, and from what I know, you are really good at that.

wow, didn't see that one coming.
Your work is one of the few reviews I still enjoy reading because of the at least partly scientific approach and the more technical mindset. (I consider almost everything that is written in Hifiland worthless, nowadays).
Your work is a rare exception from the usual mumbojumbo. Hopefully the new editor will keep this spirit alive.
Enjoy all the adventures and thanks a lot. *raises the tankard*

Well - you should never stop people with Wanderlust - so enjoy your journey to the max!! I am sure you will. Your reviews and recommendations have brought me a lot of pleasure and made my purchasing decisions easier. Thank you so much for that - the less time I spent researching - the more I was able to enjoy the music.

Your contribution to the industry really needs to be highlighted. You did influence it in the right way and I am pretty happy to have had someone like you on my side during my journey through the personal audio world.

I am sad and a bit angry at you for leaving us but more than that I am really grateful for your articles. You helped me spend much more money that I would have ever spent on headphones, and every time I was very happy to fallow your advice.

You educated me about sound and headphones. This is probably the thing I will miss the most! Things like the harman response curve, the Golden Ears, the recent 3d sound thing done by the scotts, the big rigs and introducing Bob Katz.

I hope you left a door open and maybe once in a while you might be able to slip in a few words from time to time with your adventures but also some interesting stuff from the audio world. (you might be travelling but I doubt you will stay away from this world)

The world is your yard and you don't have to do the yard work. Enjoy the road. I would make an oceanside trip first and enjoy some fish tacos while hanging at the beach listening to good tunes. Thanks for the great articles and for sharing your passion and curiosity with us. Eric

Hey Tyll! - Thanks for everything over the years - I use headphones, amps and dacs for work, and for fun. Thanks for making my job easier and helping me enjoy music when I’m relaxing and traveling. Speaking of which, enjoy retirement!

First I think you're making the right move. I'm a septuagenarian now but managed to punch out at 59 1/2 myself debt free. :) My wishes are for your health to remain good to allow you to enjoy your wanderlust.

Second, my entry into quality headphone systems started with my placing an order for your original Headroom Supreme amp plus Sennheiser HD580s in December 1993 after reading the Stereophile review article. I've never looked back since.

Tyll, this is sad news. But I'm happy for you.
I've always valued your reviews and will miss them severely. I've always appreciated your unique voice in the headphone-review-o-sphere.
I review headphones for Audioholics.com and have silently counted you as a mentor for years in how to summarize both objective and subjective opinions about material.
Thank you
Wayde Robson

Though we have never met, you have been an important part of a significant aspect of my life - Audio. Your reviews and observations have played a huge role in my decisions and thus my experience and enjoyment. As such you are a friend, albeit a friend I have never met or spoken with.

Parting from a friend is sad and hard. But when you know it is the best for them, and you see how happy they are, one can only clasp their hand and say - “Happy trails, my friend!”

As someone far more eloquent once said, "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, And the rains fall soft upon your fields."

I can do nothing but wish you all the best in your future journeys, Tyll. It has been a blessing to have had you in this hobby/culture/niche for as long as we have. Frankly, we didn't deserve you. Drop a line when your arc swings east.

Enjoy the open road Tyll....we will miss you. Given how much you like Senn, I would take the HD800S and get yourself the Sony NW-ZX300 with you. The ZX300 is able to drive the HD800 well enough and I think you will be happy with it :)

I registered just to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have enjoyed this site and your opinions silently for many years. You have educated me and helped me make purchase decisions and for that I will be eternally grateful. Enjoy your retirement and be safe out there.

Your words and thoughts have been a regular part of my life for the past 7 years or so. I will miss them -- at least until you publish again (as you say, likely not on headphones). Have a fantastic retirement!

Tyll! Really enjoyed watching your videos!
Thanks to you I bought a pair of Amperiors back in 2012 which I still use today, best purchase ever. As well as the HD650 that I adore, much thanks to you! Would be awesome to have updates from your journey, when you feel like it! All the best and good luck with the ukulele and your journey!

Sorry to see ya go, Tyll, but glad you'll be doing what you want to do.

I bought a pair of Entymotics from your store in 1993 or so - my first foray into hifi headphone listening, and have followed your reviews for a number of years. They have been both informative and entertaining, and you've become a favorite audio writer of mine over the years, right up there with J Gordon Holt and Sam Telling.

I just wanted to pop in to say thanks for everything, Tyll, especially your friend-to-all and stranger-to-none dynamic, entertaining and sometimes downright disgustingly hilarious personality. You're truly one of a kind and have made a huge impact on the headphone community and have touched on the lives of tons of people who have great respect for every aspect of the work you've taken on for 25 years -- but above all, for your headphone enthusiasm. But don't kid yourself with that compost toilet. Your shyte does actually stink! Love ya, brother. Take good care and hope to see you somewhere down the road...

Tyll, congratulations and absolute best on the next chapter in your life and adventures in Putt! Very few may lay claim to single handily changing an industry, as you can with headphones and personal audio. From my Airhead Amp and Grado SR60’s to my Focal Clears, I’ve appreciated your sage advice.

Although not a true headphone geek, I, like most music lovers today need a decent sounding pair of headphone for travel or other times when I want to listen to music without disturbing others. I have always found your reviews to be straightforward, honest and pretty much on the mark. As a former audio reviewer myself, I truly enjoyed your writing as well as your video coverage of headphone events. I will never forget the time we "almost" met at RMAF five or six years ago. You were in your motorcycle helmet and jacket and going into your room as I was checking into mine. By the time I figured out it was you, you were in your room and I missed my chance. Best wishes, Tyll, on your retirement and I wish you many happy miles and great adventures. Since I too am retired (although some years your senior), I hope we run into each other "down the road". Thanks for all your great writing with integrity and good humor. We will miss you.

Whom do we refer our loyal customers ti for the BEST and most entertaining headphone reviews in the galaxy now?
Enjoy your time on the road, Tyll.
Your insightful and utmost fair input will be deeply missed by thousands of people.
We feel sad for us (pitiful bastards we are ;-) ) and utmost happy for you.
You earned it by always doing an outstanding job!
Cheers from Munich and all the very best for whatever rocks your boat.

This is my first comment on Innerfidelity, as I feel the need to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your entertaining, informative and always passionate reviews & posts! Those who don't know you should just scroll through any headphone forum to see what an influential figure you have been to the community.

I will miss you. My purchases based on your reviews were all great. Putt DOES look like a boat. I helped my father build his dream boat and Putt Brings back memories! I know you'll miss us, but not as much as you enjoy your new adventure. Thank you for so much.

Very sad to hear of your departure Tyll, and also envious of your future unencumbered life.
Your reviews have been of immense help in my search for a headphone 'keeper'.
Stay safe on your travels, and if you ever get to the UK, I'll buy you a pint... or several.
All the very best, Pat.

Tyll, I wanna congratulate you for you retirement. You help me so much in my headphone journey. It's sad to see you go but I'm truly happy for you. Just one more thing, please don't stop posting and keep in touch? I found your personal Youtube channel the other day by accident. Please upload videos of your adventure, maybe some thoughts on new headphones and stuff. I know all of us will love it.

I first started following you about 12-14 years ago. I spent so much time reading the reviews on Headroom and hoping that one day I can get those headphones and amplifiers in India. I couldn't import any at that time and the market for them were so small that hardly anyone sold headphones in India. So much has changed in the last 10+ years. Without headroom, I'd have never discovered other websites but also my passion for sound and headphones. Thank you for all your contributions and for being honest and passionate in your reviews. Hope you have a great time on the never-ending road. Be happy.

I have been an avid reader of your articles. Thank you for your informative articles, sometimes a bit to technical for me to grasp but I read through them nevertheless as your writing style made them easier to read. Amongst all the audio writers that I read, I respected your opinion the most. I did not agree with you sometimes but I always understood your point of view.

It's amazing how far ahead of everyone you were with your ideas, so we all owe you a debt of gratitude for what you created. I have been using a pair of your desktop speaker/headphone stands for some years now. Still nobody has created anything like them that I am aware of.

I too am looking forward to retirement. I wish you the best of luck with your travels and may you enjoy every moment of it.

I will miss your posts. I looked forward to your information and good humor. Most of all I looked forward to the information I used in selecting my headphones and headphone amps. It was very valuable and I would not be enjoying my headphone listening as much as I do without your input.

Thanks for all your amazing contributions to the community you helped pioneer through the years! I'll never forget the first time I saw an ad for a crazy thing called a "headphone amp" back in Speaker Builder magazine, decades ago. I thought "who would need THAT?"

And if your travels bring you to San Diego in pursuit of the perfect beach bar, call any time!

Tyll, I feel surprised by my sadness at the news of your retirement. That speaks volumes about what you and your work have come to mean to me, and I'm sure very many others. However, your reasons for going now are solid and understandable. Going out whilst you're still at the top!
All the very best for the future and have a thoroughly enjoyable retirement! You will be missed!

I got burned out after 3 intense years of Importing, Manufacturing and Retailing Audiophile Gear.

The Summer of 1985 I shut everything down, selling off every piece of Audio Industry related gear I owned. Phew!!!

Geez, Tyll had a darn good 3 Decade Run, he always seemed comfortable carrying around a 5 Star Reputation and will be an exciting Draw at any Audio Show Venue as Guest Speaker, Keynote Speaker, Seminar participant and Adviser on all things Portable Audio, etc.. he can write his own ticket.

I don't think Tyll is gone, I think that he's a Audio Industry "Family" member that is taking some time off, becoming a "Wandering Albatross" like all my peers and I hope to become while morphing into the "New" Tyll. One of my Psychiatrists thinks that we humans change-over into entirely new people every 10 years or so.

I see a YouTube channel :: "Travels with Tyll" where a large percentage of regular Innerfidelty readership will end up following along and I see a Patreon Subscription providing me ( and a few hundred others ) the opportunity to pay and support.

Good things are happening now, all our lives are getting exciting.

Tyll Herstens made more sense of Audio things and concepts than anyone I ever encountered, I can see him being an Advocate Vlog for Phonak and being an inspiration to all us "Vintage" Audiophiles.

Wow Tyll! Thanks SO much for everything you've done to enhance this great hobby! I've valued your editorial opinion since your HeadRoom days, and I've explored the world of headphones in a much more enlightened manner thanks to your presence. Your Innerfideltiy reviews and videos have been informative and, often, highly entertaining. All the best to you in your retirement! Putt looks amazing, and I envy your journey (I'm 60 as well). Peace! May you find all that you seek, and may the road always rise up to meet you! Take good care!

Good call. Hope the herd won't succumb to the wolves, without its shepherd. Huge void to be filled, but I'm sure all the true head hi-fi enthusiasts, that you inspired with your work, will make sure that the herd stays healthy! Big, huge, respect, for setting a great example. And now, it's Adventure Time!﻿

It's sad to hear that you're leaving. However, I know that it'll be a lot of fun time ahead of you. Whenever you have a chance to come to Bangkok, Thailand, please make sure that you let me know. It'll be my honor to show you some good times here.

Haven't had a chance to check out the video yet, but just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for the hobby Tyll! It was a pleasure to meet you at the early Head-Fi National Meets, and I remember making my first purchases from HeadRoom back when you were there running things. I'll admit I'm disappointed that you won't be covering the hobby anymore, I always looked forward to your endless passion & enthusiasm here on IF.

I'd always wanted to visit you up there in Bozeman but unfortunately just never got a chance for that, but I hope to run into you again someday!

Best wishes and I know you'll have a great time out there on the road!

Wait, wait. where are you going ? You were supposed to review Audio Technica ADX5000. I can't believe it ! Here we have what seems to be the best electrodynamic headphones and you are quitting before reviewing them.

Wait, wait, where are you going ? You were supposed to review Audio Technica ADX5000. I can't believe it ! Here we have what seems to be the best electrodynamic headphones and you are quitting before reviewing them.

Well deserved. Thanks for all your work and everything you brought to the community of headphones enthusiasts. A grand legacy and big shoes to fill for the successor. Leaving a large empty space. I was glad to finally meat you at CanJam LA, and chat to you about my little Bluewave Get, among other interesting stuff including this news of retirement. Best of adventures to you, it should be a lot of fun.

One article that stands out to me is one you did on earplugs. I roared with laughter about stuffing your ears with toilet paper, until I had to try it and it works! I did buy the Comply "Sonic Filters" that a friend dubbed "Frankenstein Ears", ever so slightly better than TP. Best of luck and enjoy the road.

I've literally been following your career since I was a kid (I'm 37 now). I got my first pair of HD 600's when I was 17 not long after they came out because of your reviews and I've had a headphone hobby ever since. I owned your first portable amps too.

I'm bummed I didn't comment on the site often, but I was an avid reader/watcher and while I'm sad to see you ride off in to the sunset I'm very happy for you to get to go off. Your impact on the community has been impressive to say the least. Enjoy your time on the road. Awesome van by the way. :)

Thanks Tyll, your comments and reviews have been very useful and informative and have helped me compare and evaluate stuff for myself and to make some good choices. I really appreciate the combination of factual nitty gritty and well informed opinion - I think it's what was known as good judgement before the www turned us all into experts/monomaniacs/raving loons (choose two).

Congratulations on putting a great idea into practice, it's a fantastic retirement plan!

Your reviews and content were what made me interested in headphones and will be a life long hobby for me. Thank you for all your hard work and influencing the industry like you did. We will miss you! Enjoy your well earned retirement!